Scottish Executive

Agriculture

Alex Fergusson (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) approval rate for each type of project grant, (b) amount of grant for each type of project as a percentage of the total amount paid out, (c) actual amount paid out for each type of project, and (d) number of approved applications which have been progressed to implementation were under the Farm Business Development Scheme in each year since the scheme started, broken down by scheme area.

Ross Finnie: The first Farm Business Development Scheme (FBDS) projects were approved in November 2001 and since that date 257 projects have been approved. The following table provides a detailed breakdown, by area, of those projects:

  Table 1 - Numbers of FBDS Projects Approved in Rounds 1 to 3

  


 


East
  (South)


East
  (North)


West


Dumfries and Galloway


Scottish Borders


Total




Alternative Agriculture


17


15


1


9


2


44




Non-Agricultural Diversification


33


69


25


63


23


213




Overall Total


50


84


26


72


25


257




  The answers to your questions are:

  (a) There is no set approval rate for types of FBDS projects. Grant rates are set individually by area based Project Assessment Committees up to a maximum of £25,000 or, if less, 50% of eligible expenditure.

  (b) to (c) Details of FBDS claims paid are, as follows:

  Table 2 - FBDS Claims Paid (as at 19 July 2002)

  


Measure


East (South)
 


East (North)


West


Dumfries and Galloway


Scottish Borders


Total Payments Claimed


Approval by Category




(£)


(£)


(£)


(£)


(£)


(£)


(%)




Alternative Agriculture


28,315


32,340


14,994


30,991


18,156


124,796


20




Non-Agricultural
Diversification


138,607


61,162


64,967


103,327


123,080


491,143


80




Total


166,922


93,502


79,961


134,318


141,236


615,939


100%




  (d) Information in relation to completed projects is not available at this time. Successful applicants have two years from the date of approval in which to complete their project and submit their final claims for financial assistance. No approvals were issued prior to November 2001.

Agriculture

Alex Fergusson (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether joint applications are still permitted under the Farm Business Development (Scotland) Scheme and what the reasons are for the position on this matter.

Ross Finnie: Scottish Statutory Instrument (Scotland) number (2001 No. 259), which sets the statutory rules for the Farm Business Development Scheme (FBDS), legislates for the submission of single project applications attracting a maximum grant of £25,000, or for collaborative ventures. A collaborative venture is defined in the legislation as "a project which is jointly submitted by three or more eligible persons in relation to three or more eligible businesses". The grant ceiling for a collaborative project is £30,000 per eligible business.

  The SSI came into force on 2 July 2001 and has not been amended. There was, however, an anomaly in the scheme literature which was amended in April 2002. Unfortunately, the literature which accompanied the scheme indicated that joint applications (i.e. applications from two agricultural businesses) were eligible under the scheme. This statement was incorrect, since an FBDS application coming from two agricultural businesses does not fulfil the legal definitions of eligibility as set out at section 2(1) of the covering legal instrument.

  There has been no change in the legislation as described above. A wide ranging review of the scheme is to be undertaken with a view to reporting to Scottish ministers later this year, and the issue of joint applications will be considered as part of the review. One of the aims of the scheme remains to encourage collaboration within the farming sector and this is reflected in the higher level of grant ceiling available to collaborative ventures.

Animal Welfare

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which official in its Environment and Rural Affairs Department has prime responsibility for the implementation of animal health policy.

Ross Finnie: The head of Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department's Food and Agriculture Group has overall responsibility for animal health policy and its implementation in Scotland.

Animal Welfare

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what role its Environment and Rural Affairs Department has in the formulation of animal health policy.

Ross Finnie: Animal health and welfare are devolved matters so the Scottish Executive has the lead role in the formulation of policy which is applied in Scotland. In doing so it must comply with European Union legislation on animal health issues and needs to take account of animal health position in other parts of Great Britain.

Animal Welfare

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when its Environment and Rural Affairs Department last held discussions with the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs regarding animal health policy.

Ross Finnie: The respective Agriculture Ministers discuss animal health issues on a regular basis. In addition, discussions between officials of the Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department (SEERAD) and the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) are held frequently. Senior officials from SEERAD, DEFRA and the other UK Agriculture Departments meet monthly, when animal health and welfare issues are on the agenda.

Animal Welfare

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many officials within its Environment and Rural Affairs Department are responsible for the implementation of animal health policy on a day-to-day basis.

Ross Finnie: There are a total of 31 officials within the Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department with responsibility for devising and implementing animal health policy. There are additionally 79 staff from the State Veterinary Service (SVS) based in Scotland, including six senior veterinary advisers in the Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department head office. A total of 66 staff funded by the Scottish Executive provide administration support for the SVS veterinary staff and animal health officers.

Construction Industry

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that the average annual requirement of 4,600 construction industry staff identified in the Construction Industry Training Board's Skills Foresight Report 2002-2006 are recruited across Scotland.

Iain Gray: The Scottish Executive was well aware of the issues relating to employment within the construction industry before the publication of the Construction Industry Training Board's report in February 2002. In January 2001, we commissioned research to establish where construction skills gaps existed and what might be done to address them.

  In response to the research findings published earlier this year, the Scottish Welfare to Work Task Force established a construction sub-group to develop an appropriate construction industry training course for New Deal clients in Scotland. Working with employers, the sub-group focuses on establishing local partnerships to enable the disadvantaged and long-term unemployed to move into suitable construction jobs.

  In addition, Future Skills Scotland and Careers Scotland have agreed to identify opportunities for careers and training in areas where skills are in demand. We are working with Careers Scotland and the Construction Industry Training Board to promote awareness of opportunities in the construction industry, in line with the promotion of the Modern Apprenticeships programme. Almost 5,000 Modern Apprentices are now in construction-related training.

Environment

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to progress the recommendations made by the Transport and the Environment Committee in its 4th Report 2002, Report on Petition PE327 by the Blairingone and Saline Action Group on Organic Waste Spread on Land .

Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive's response to the recommendations made by the Transport and the Environment Committee in its 4th Report 2002 on Organic Waste to Land can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/official_report/cttee/trans-02/trp02-22.pdf.

  The committee made further representation to the Executive in its letter of 3 July calling for an immediate ban on the spreading of untreated blood and gut content on land. The Executive is currently considering its response to this.

Environment

Kay Ullrich (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether a proposal to build an experimental biomass power plant close to the village of Whiting Bay on the Isle of Arran, which would rely on the pyrolysis process and the burning of diesel, would be compatible with current environmental legislation.

Ross Finnie: This was a matter for the local planning authority, North Ayrshire Council, to consider as part of the outline planning consent process.

Environment

Kay Ullrich (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the building of an experimental biomass power plant close to the village of Whiting Bay on the Isle of Arran would have any effect on the tourist industry on the island and what the basis is of its position on this matter.

Ross Finnie: Any matters relating to the proposed biomass plant on Arran are for the local planning authority, North Ayrshire Council, to consider.

Environment

Kay Ullrich (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether pyrolysis liquid (Bio-Oil) is a hazardous substance.

Ross Finnie: The terms pyrolysis liquid and bio-oil are used to refer to a number of different substances. While these generally will not be hazardous, the precise answer in individual cases will be for the relevant firm to consider with the relevant regulatory bodies, such as the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and the Health and Safety Executive.

General Practitioners

Alasdair Morgan (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many GPs in each health board area had received training on the assessment of patients prior to the issue of a certificate of incapacity as at 1 July 2002, expressed also as a proportion of the total number of GPs in each area.

Malcolm Chisholm: A full programme of training in what the act involves has been offered to GPs over the past 18 months. This included:

  four seminars on the act which were funded by the Scottish Executive;

  multidisciplinary training events;

  a training video which was circulated widely;

  leaflets and aides memoire for doctors, and

  guidance produced in consultation with the British Medical Association.

  Information on training on assessment of patients is not collected centrally. The assessment of whether a patient lacks the capacity to make decisions about medical treatment is a matter for the clinical judgement of the individual doctor. If a doctor considers that he or she requires additional training to be able to conduct assessments then it is for the GP as an independent practitioner to seek the training as necessary. Guidance and assistance on training needs for GPs is available from NHS Education for Scotland via the postgraduate Directors of General Practice Education. Under the Statement of Fees and Allowances for GPs, each GP principal is eligible to receive an annual Postgraduate Education Allowance to support an agreed amount of training.

Genetically Modified Crops

John Farquhar Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has received about when the Scientific Steering Committee will meet to decide the locations of autumn plantings of GM crops and when it expects to be notified of any decision on this matter.

Ross Finnie: The Scientific Steering Committee reached a decision by correspondence on which sites were to be proposed for the autumn plantings in the final round of the GM farm scale evaluation programme. The Scottish Executive announced the proposed sites on 8 July as soon as they were notified of their locations. Ministers will decide on whether planting may proceed at these sites.

Genetically Modified Crops

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will allow the sale of the non-genetically modified oil seed rape crop being grown 50 metres from the GM field scale trial at Munlochy.

Ross Finnie: Under the terms of the consent to release this variety of genetically modified oilseed rape, the consent holder must ensure that no harvested rapeseed from oilseed rape grown within 50 metres of the GM plants will be put into the human food or animal feed chains. The farmer is at liberty to market any conventional oilseed rape growing beyond this 50 metre separation distance. Our advisers are confident that such a crop poses absolutely no threat to human or animal health.

Genetically Modified Crops

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has received about any developments in respect of the European Commission's proposals for legislation controlling the presence of GM seeds in the seed of conventional species.

Ross Finnie: The Commission published interim measures in October 2000 for dealing with the issue of adventitious presence of GM seeds in conventional seed and has been working up draft proposals for legislative change. These proposals have evolved over time and have been the subject of two separate consultation exercises with interested organisations. A further, and I expect near final version, in the form of draft legislative proposals, has now been published by the Commission and I am arranging for a further period of consultation with stakeholders. I have arranged for copies of these documents to be available in the Parliament's Reference Centre. The Executive will take into account all the views that are expressed on the Commission's proposals in helping to frame the UK's position in Brussels.

  The revised proposals include maximum thresholds for the presence of GM material in conventional seed and requirements to minimise, monitor and test for such occurrence.

Home Energy Conservation Act 1995

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will follow the practice in England and Wales of publishing individual local authority figures under the Home Energy Conservation Act 1995.

Hugh Henry: The second Home Energy Conservation Act progress reports for the period 1 April 1999 to 31 March 2001 are currently being considered. I will write to Mr Brown on the issue he raises once the work is completed.

Homelessness

Cathie Craigie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in measuring the incidence of rough sleeping.

Ms Margaret Curran: Current monitoring of the RSI target involves a three-stage assessment, which is repeated annually. Full details of the methodology being employed are contained in the reply given to question S1W-18044 on 11 September 2001.

  The report of the full three-stage assessment of the incidence of rough sleeping in Scotland in 2001-02 is now available. I am placing copies in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 22633).

  In summary, the report indicates that during the October 2001 study period of 14 days 471 people reported sleeping rough at least once. This compares to 500 people in the May 2001 study period. Whilst the report shows an overall reduction in the number of people sleeping rough it also shows an increase in the average number per night (from 64 to 87) indicating that this fewer number of individuals are sleeping out more frequently.

  An assessment of available accommodation showed that on a targeted night during the October study period, when 117 people reported they had slept rough, 181 bed spaces were available across Scotland. Analysis at local authority level shows that in all but five authorities, available accommodation was sufficient to meet, or exceeded demand.

  I welcome this report which provides invaluable detailed information about the issues and problems facing the reducing number of people who find themselves sleeping rough. The Executive will use this report in its continuing work with local authorities to improve the connection between people sleeping rough and the services and accommodation which have been funded through the Rough Sleepers Initiative. This work will be supported by the strengthened duties set out in the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 (to be commenced in September) which will ensure, at a minimum, the right to temporary accommodation for anyone assessed as homeless.

  Detailed progress on the delivery of the social justice target will be reported in the 2002 social justice report.

Housing

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much was spent on private sector housing grants in (a) 1999-2000, (b) 2000-01 and (c) 2001-02, broken down by local authority.

Hugh Henry: The figures for 1999-2000 and 2000-01 are shown in the table. Figures are not yet available for financial year 2001-02.

  (a) Local Authority Gross Capital Expenditure 1999-2000 (£000)

  

 

Statutory Grants1


Discretionary Grants1


Care and Repair1


Total




Scotland


13,902


22,618


4,657


41,177




Aberdeen City


1,712


135


60


1,907




Aberdeenshire


288


100


0


388




Angus


0


436


70


506




Argyll and Bute


0


1,766


13


1,779




Clackmannanshire


0


246


21


267




Dumfries and Galloway


77


221


323


621




Dundee City


972


648


26


1,646




East Ayrshire


235


0


0


235




East Dunbartonshire


1


149


0


150




East Lothian


319


209


76


604




East Renfrewshire


0


113


38


151




Edinburgh, City of


168


2,334


346


2,848




Eilean Siar


2,204


1,104


153


3,461




Falkirk


0


495


0


495




Fife


86


150


183


419




Glasgow City


2,223


4,109


600


6,932




Highland


2,279


397


1,638


4,314




Inverclyde


3


486


0


489




Midlothian


0


53


0


53




Moray


0


557


0


557




North Ayrshire


632


70


65


767




North Lanarkshire


500


831


358


1,689




Orkney Islands


0


1,408


0


1,408




Perth and Kinross


77


646


360


1,083




Renfrewshire


1,575


304


0


1,879




Scottish Borders


52


895


0


947




Shetland Islands


0


320


0


320




South Ayrshire


250


60


0


310




South Lanarkshire


0


3,274


226


3,500




Stirling


2


673


101


776




West Dunbartonshire


247


0


0


247




West Lothian


0


429


0


429




  Source: As reported by authorities on the statistical return Capital Payments and their Financing (CPR Fin5).

  Note:

  1. Includes capital payments funded from revenue.

  (b) Local Authority Gross Capital Expenditure 2000-01 (£000)

  

 

Statutory Grants1


Discretionary Grants1


Care and Repair1


Total




Scotland


12,706


20,480


5,758


38,944




Aberdeen City


1,374


192


30


1,596




Aberdeenshire


129


100


0


229




Angus


0


421


0


421




Argyll and Bute


0


1,972


43


2,015




Clackmannanshire


0


339


25


364




Dumfries and Galloway


168


155


341


664




Dundee City


793


528


75


1,396




East Ayrshire


275


124


0


399




East Dunbartonshire


0


275


0


275




East Lothian


0


552


95


647




East Renfrewshire


0


111


86


197




Edinburgh, City of


155


2,370


318


2,843




Eilean Siar


2,317


1,160


169


3,646




Falkirk


0


574


0


574




Fife


73


216


134


423




Glasgow City


1,583


3,898


638


6,119




Highland


1,868


143


1,841


3,852




Inverclyde


1


399


46


446




Midlothian


0


123


0


123




Moray


0


510


0


510




North Ayrshire


688


76


233


997




North Lanarkshire


1,260


204


353


1,817




Orkney Islands


0


508


473


981




Perth and Kinross


57


613


304


974




Renfrewshire


676


506


0


1,182




Scottish Borders


68


513


0


581




Shetland Islands


386


101


0


487




South Ayrshire


300


93


0


393




South Lanarkshire


0


3,056


373


3,429




Stirling


363


210


93


666




West Dunbartonshire


172


0


88


260




West Lothian


0


438


0


438




  Source: As reported by authorities on the statistical return Capital Payments and their Financing (CPR Fin5).

  Note:

  1. Includes capital payments funded from revenue.

Housing

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance has been provided to the north and north east by Communities Scotland for the purpose of providing housing accommodation for those with special needs; what the annual budget of Communities Scotland is for such housing; how this budget has been allocated in the current financial year, and whether it will provide a breakdown of such funding by geographical area for each year since Community Scotland's inception.

Ms Margaret Curran: I have asked Mr Bob Millar, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:

  Communities Scotland's programme allocations reflect ministerial priorities and link the national distribution of resources to Area Teams, based upon the measurement of social exclusion. The area programme allocation is then developed in close consultation with partners, reflecting a broad range of existing partnership arrangements and leading to locally devised programmes and decision-making. Programmes are based upon local housing market and needs analysis to identify, consistent with our strategy, the demands, needs and opportunities for housing investment.

  Communities Scotland's allocation to North and North East Scotland on Housing Accommodation for Particular Needs is as follows:

  Communities Scotland - Expenditure in North and North East Scotland on Housing Accommodation for Particular Needs (2001-02 to 2002-03)

  

 

2001-02 Approved Programme1
(£ million)


2002-03 Approved Programme2
(£ million)




Grampian, Tayside and Fife


13.038


12.731




Highlands and Islands


2.838


2.358




Communities Scotland - Total


47.456


42.630




  Notes:

  1. Approved Programme figure is used as 2001-02 accounts yet to be finalised - therefore these figures are subject to change.

  2. Estimates.

NHS Funding

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what allocations have been made within Forth Valley, Fife and Tayside NHS Board areas under the Remote and Rural Areas Resource Initiative.

Malcolm Chisholm: The main objective of Remote and Rural Areas Resource Initiative (RARARI) is not direct support for particular remote and rural areas but the testing of proposals which might be generalised throughout remote and rural Scotland.

  The RARARI invited bids for project support in two bidding rounds held in 2000 and 2001. Details of the projects for which it has agreed to provide funding are available direct from RARARI or from its website at:

  www.rarari.org.uk.

NHS Funding

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it cost to produce, publish and print the NHS publication Remote and Rural Areas Resource Initiative Mid-term Report .

Malcolm Chisholm: This is a matter for the Remote and Rural Areas Resource Initiative. The chairman, Mr Stewart Whiteford, will be happy to provide the information requested.

NHS Staff

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many specialists in anaphylaxis and allergies are in post and where are they located

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many trainee specialists in anaphylaxis and allergy services there are and where they are located.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: Allergy was recognised by the Specialist Training Authority as constituting a related but distinct specialty as recently as June 1999. Accordingly, the effects of specialist training in that discipline will take time to be fully reflected in NHS provision, and there were therefore no training grade or consultant staff recorded in the specialty as at 30 September 2001.

  Training in the assessment and treatment of allergic reactions is a facet within a number of general medical specialties and also forms part of general undergraduate medical education. All doctors in NHSScotland will therefore have received a certain level of training in this area, though it is not possible to identify those who have a specific interest in the treatment of anaphylaxis.

NHS Staff

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to increase the number of training posts for medical staff and other staff wishing to specialise in anaphylaxis and allergy services.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: Two higher specialist training posts in the specialty of allergy have been established in the west of Scotland. These posts are open to doctors who are eligible to apply.

  It is the responsibility of each trust, as the employer, to ensure that all health care staff have the training required to provide effective patient care. The amount of additional training provided locally by trusts for the treatment of specific conditions, such as anaphylaxis, will differ according to local needs.

  I also refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-27347 today.

Organic Food

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish an organic food and farming action plan.

Ross Finnie: The Forward Strategy for Scottish Agriculture, developed by the Executive in partnership with stakeholders from the food and farming industries and the environmental sector, sets out an action plan which is relevant to the organic sector as well as to other forms of environmentally sustainable farming. Specific to the organic sector, it challenges the sector to:

  (i) identify and tailor production to consumer demand and market outlets;

  (ii) develop the supply chain so that organic producers are matched by sufficient processing capacity;

  (iii) in the livestock sector, identify finishers to whom store producers can sell their produce;

  (iv) ensure the right business and technical advice is available on how to convert to, and, as importantly, maintain organic farming in Scottish conditions, and

  (v) ensure that Scottish farmers are able to use organic standards which avoid gold plating and reflect Scottish conditions.

  The Executive encourages the development of the organic sector in Scotland in a number of ways. These include the Organic Aid Scheme (OAS), which provides annual payments for five years for farmers converting their land, assistance under the Processing and Marketing Grants Scheme and the Marketing Development Scheme for projects that strengthen the organic food chain, the funding of an organic helpline operated by the Scottish Agricultural College, and the recently published Guide to Organic Marketing funded by the Executive.

  The Executive has recently completed a consultation exercise on measures to improve the operation of agri-environment schemes, including the OAS, in the short term. The Executive is considering responses to that consultation paper, and also possible longer-term changes to agri-environmental measures to enable them more effectively to support a range of environmentally sustainable forms of farming.

Planning

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to introduce any legislation on planning matters that would require the organisation of outdoor sporting pursuits to apply for planning permission to stage a meeting or event.

Hugh Henry: We have no plans at present to alter the existing planning arrangements in this regard.

  A meeting or event may require planning permission, depending on the circumstances, in particular if a change in the use of land is involved. However, permitted development rights exist which grant a general planning permission across Scotland for, among other things, the temporary use of land (up to 28 days in total in any calendar year) for any purpose except caravan sites or open air markets.

Planning

Kay Ullrich (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether outline planning permission, subject to conditions, should be granted by a local authority in a situation where the permission being granted relates to an experimental facility and where the local authority may not have the expertise to monitor that the conditions applied will be adhered to.

Hugh Henry: It is for each individual planning authority to consider whether planning permission should be granted and the means of monitoring any conditions which they may attach.

Police

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any incidents recorded by Central Scotland Police as "suspicious circumstances" should instead have been included in crime figures.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have been informed by Central Scotland Police that in instances where a report of a suspicious incident is made to officers of this force, and there is evidence of a crime being committed, such acts will be recorded in the crime statistics in accordance with current ACPOS guidelines.

Renewable Energy

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what subsidies are given to renewable energy generating schemes.

Ross Finnie: As a demonstration of our strong support for the development of renewable energy, the Executive introduced on 1 April this year the Renewables Obligation (Scotland), which provides a strong market incentive for investment in renewable energy generating schemes.

Renewable Energy

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much public expenditure there has been on renewable energy research and commercialisation in the last three years and how much is planned over the next two years.

Ross Finnie: Funding for research and development of renewable energy is a reserved matter, and is the responsibility of the Department of Trade and Industry. The research funds available through the DTI's Sustainable Energy Programme for projects across the UK in each of the last three years was as follows:

  1999-2000 - £12.5 million

  2000-01 - £13.1 million

  2001-02 - £13.5 million

  Provision for research and development through this programme is planned to increase to £19 million in 2002-03. Information in respect of 2003-04 is not yet available.

Rural Development

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive on what dates the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Rural Development has met; whether its membership has changed and, if so, when and how; whether it produces minutes of its meetings, and, if so, whether these are made public.

Ross Finnie: The Cabinet Sub-Committee on Rural Development, which I Chair, (formerly the Ministerial Committee on Rural Development), was established in 1999, when it met three times. Since then, it has met five times in 2000 and five times in 2001 and has so far met twice this year, on 5 February and 15 May. The membership has changed once, following a review of ministerial committees and working groups in January this year, when some rationalisation was agreed. The sub-committee currently has the following members: the Minister for Social Justice, the Minister for Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning, the Minister for Finance and Public Services, the Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development and the Deputy Minister for Tourism Culture and Sport. Details of the remit and membership of all Cabinet sub-committees are available on the Scottish Executive website.

  As indicated in the Guide to Collective Decision Making, a copy of which is available on the Scottish Executive website, the Executive operates on the basis of collective responsibility and does not disclose details of the internal processes through which decisions have been made. For that reason, the Executive does not normally publish minutes of Cabinet sub-committee meetings.

Sexual Offences

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-22050 by Dr Richard Simpson on 1 February 2002, when it expects the working group carrying out the strategic assessment on the wider issue of drug-related sexual assault to report.

Mr Jim Wallace: The working group, led by the Scottish Drugs Enforcement Agency, has produced its strategic assessment and guidance document for investigators on drug-assisted sexual assault. The document is being issued to all Scottish police forces to assist with their investigations.

  Information from the strategic assessment will be utilised in a forthcoming guidance leaflet for young people on the issue, produced within the context of the Executive's Know the Score communications strategy.

Sexual Offences

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what publications it has produced aimed at helping the public reduce the risk of suffering a sexual assault in each of the last three years.

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what advice it provides to the public on reducing the risk of suffering sexual assaults and where any such advice is available.

Dr Richard Simpson: Guidance on women's safety continues to be provided through "Talking Sense", which offers a range of strategies and advice to women at home, at work, in the street and travelling. By providing ideas on forward planning it aims to make those at risk feel more confident, more in control, and safer. This consists of a booklet and video provided to police forces for local distribution. The guidance is currently being updated and the revised version will focus on personal safety for all.

Sexual Offences

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to develop a public education campaign which alerts the public to the danger of sexual assaults from acquaintances as distinct from strangers.

Dr Richard Simpson: There are no plans to develop such a campaign. However, the guidance "Talking Sense", referred to in the answer given to question S1W-27354 today, contains a section on violence within the family which provides advice to women who are in danger of being, or are being, abused, physically, emotionally or sexually by someone they love or trust.

Social Inclusion Partnerships

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which social inclusion partnerships (a) underspent and (b) overspent their budgets in 2001-02 and by how much.

Ms Margaret Curran: Out-turn information in respect of 2001- 02 is not yet available.

Social Inclusion Partnerships

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-24724 by Ms Margaret Curran on 20 May 2002, what the administrative costs were of each of the social inclusion partnerships listed for 1999-2000 and 2000-01.

Ms Margaret Curran: Details of the administrative costs of the Social Inclusion Partnerships for 1999-2000 and 2000-01 are shown in the following table:

  


SIP


Administration Costs
1999-2000
(£)


Administration Costs
2000-01
(£)




Great Northern


nil1


20,000




Arbroath


nil1


N/A2




Argyle and Bute


nil1


nil2




Edinburgh North


53,888


51,575




Edinburgh South


nil1


17,889




Edinburgh Strategic Programme


26,172


12,450




Edinburgh Youth SIP


3,959


13,512




Edinburgh Craigmillar


40,717


40,185




Alloa South and East


2,022


7,616




Dundee Young Carers


1,122


2,500




Dundee SIP1


57,000


50,100




Dundee SIP2


19,317


10,950




Dundee Xplore


5,488


10,250




East Ayr Coalfields


nil1


nil1




Tranent


nil1


nil1




Levern Valley


nil1


nil1




Falkirk


nil1


1,171




Fife


18,775


819




Fife, Frae


2,344


4,119




Glasgow Smaller Area


27,500


17,972




Glasgow Anti Racist


12,583


19,513




Glasgow Big Step


7,088


12,825




Glasgow Drumchapel


18,750


47,747




Glasgow East End


54,437


54,650




Glasgow Gorbals


5,297


14,425




Glasgow Greater Easterhouse


70,000


78,525




Glasgow Greater Govan


3,781


9,011




Glasgow Greater Pollock


18,113


31,103




Glasgow Milton


2,810


14,100




Glasgow North


81,350


65,805




Glasgow Routes Out


3,515


7,828




Glasgow Springburn


1,386


17,422




Highland Well-being


nil1


8,891




Inverclyde


63,020


48,900




Moray Youthstart


nil1


8,021




North Ayrshire


16,900


797




Motherwell North


29,897


36,176




North Lanarkshire


18,491


17,469




South Coatbridge


5,096


13,637




GO - Perth


1,136


nil1




Renfrew -Ferguslie Park


13,450


20,365




Renfrew Paisley


72,025


70,798




Scottish Borders


nil1


599




Girvan


nil1


5,370




North Ayr


28,325


31,711




Blantyre/North Hamilton


nil1


nil1




Cambuslang


nil1


nil1




Stirling - SPUR


13,251


11,074




West Dunbartonshire


41,702


38,220




West Lothian


4,700


6,400




Total


845,407


952,490




  Notes:

  1. Denotes no claim for administrative costs submitted.

  2. The Arbroath SIP was concluded in 1999-2000.

Sustainable Development

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the remit and current membership is of the sustainable development forum.

Ross Finnie: The remit of the Sustainable Development Forum for Scotland is to provide a focus for Scottish thinking and action on sustainable development.

  Adverts in the national press on 7 June invited nominations and requests to attend. Information was also available at: www.sustainable.scotland.gov.uk. The adverts indicated that we want to ensure that the forum has a wide range of participants from all sectors. The first 75 applicants were invited to the first meeting of the forum, which was held in Dundee on 24 July. No selection criteria have been applied, other than that where there were two or more applicants from the same organisation they have been invited to nominate one person to attend. We do not envisage the forum having a fixed or exclusive membership. Applicants who were unsuccessful, or who are unable to attend the first meeting, will be given priority for subsequent meetings. All applicants are being encouraged to keep in touch with the forum via our website at:

  www.sustainable.scotland.gov.uk.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Emergency Planning

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer what arrangements the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body has made in order to protect members and staff from any potential anthrax or other biological attack.

Sir David Steel: It would not be appropriate to set out the arrangements. However, guidance issued by the Cabinet Office and the national security authorities covering the threat from chemical and biological agents has been taken on board together with advice received from the Lothian NHS Public Health Department and customised to suit the Parliament's circumstances. The Parliament's Police Unit, experts from Lothian and Borders Police HQ and other emergency services personnel would of course be involved in dealing with any incident.